Titans Return Titan Masters Class Official Images

Coming in from our team at NYCC, we have received official Hasbro images of Titan Masters! These figures are essentially accessory packs that form the heads that can fit onto other “Masters” figures! They also come with a mini-vehicle that can transform into weapons for larger figures. The figures included in this report are:

Terribull

Nightbeat

Crashbash

Loudmouth

Check out the images after the jump and see a description of Titan Masters as well!

TITAN MASTERS

The Transformers battle explodes into uncharted territory when the Titans Return! To control an ancient race of giant, city-sized warriors–Titans–the Transformers must harness the power of Titan Masters, smaller bots that give bigger bots enhanced abilities in battle. Every Titan Master figure can become the head for any Deluxe Class, Voyager Class, or Leader Class Titans Return figure. Choose from Autobot and Decepticon Titan Master characters, unite them with other figures, and imagine they’re powering up for battle! Each Titan Master figure converts from robot to head mode and back in 1 step. They come with a mini vehicle or mini beast that converts to a weapon for Titans Return Deluxe, Voyager, or Leader Class figures. Additional figures are each sold separately. Subject to availability.

And you don't think Hasbro will cash in on you having a body with no head?

No, I think they will release the toys with heads in the future, but the heads will be recolors and retooled to be more animation accurate. That way you can pick which head you want… animation accurate or G1 toy accurate.

I was just thinking that all is not lost with these guys being heads with tiny vehicles. They could release Deluxe size versions of the same characters later, but where one size might have animation accurate faces on the Headmaster, the other would have a G1 toy accurate face. Therefore people would be inclined to buy both Nightbeats (Titan Master Class and Deluxe Class), just so you can give him either head. Plus the tiny vehicle could be used as a hand weapon for Nightbeat.

Likewise Deluxes like Skullcruncher or Hardhead might end up getting Titan Master toys in a year or two, but use the other model head on that toy.

Well, Hardhead and Skullcruncher do come with Duros (renamed to Furos) and Grax, though.

What's interesting, however, is that only those two are sculpted to look like the original Nebulan figures in robot mode. All the standalone Titan Masters seem to be loose interpretations of the large robot's design (Nightbeat and Horri-Bull's chests seem to draw from their Marvel models, for instance) or just entirely new (Squeezeplay):

I suppose that it's more accurate, then, to say that Hasbro is marketing the smaller figures by the larger robots' names (or, more often, analogs to those names) simply because those names/characters are better-known and thus more easily marketable than the Nebulan names would have been.

I guess the best way to look at this is a combination of the Wiki's "To Sell Toys" and my previous "They're not fooling anybody" mindsets.

While the point you seem to be making (that these are just the head components, and not the larger robots, and they are therefore more analogous the Nebulan figures of G1) is fair enough, it's also clear enough that Nebulans won't be playing a part in this new storyline.

Given the number of fans who already show active disdain for the Nebulan interpretation of Headmasters (in favor of the Japanese interpretation of Headmasters, where the small robots ARE the same characters as the larger bodies, which have no life on their own), it seems unnecessarily argumentative to insist on the Nebulan names.

But I suppose I'm no better. I've said (and continue to say) that while the powers-that-be at Hasbro may insist on calling these guys "Titan Masters" instead of "Headmasters" (and, apparently in the future, "Targetmasters," "Powermasters," et al) they're not fooling anybody, and I'll certainly continue to call them "Headmasters."

So do what you like….

Well, Hardhead and Skullcruncher do come with Duros (renamed to Furos) and Grax, though.

What's interesting, however, is that only those two are sculpted to look like the original Nebulan figures in robot mode. All the standalone Titan Masters seem to be loose interpretations of the large robot's design (Nightbeat and Horri-Bull's chests seem to draw somewhat from their Marvel models, for instance) or just entirely new (Squeezeplay):

While the point you seem to be making (that these are just the head components, and not the larger robots, and they are therefore more analogous the Nebulan figures of G1) is fair enough, it's also clear enough that Nebulans won't be playing a part in this new storyline.

Given the number of fans who already show active disdain for the Nebulan interpretation of Headmasters (in favor of the Japanese interpretation of Headmasters, where the small robots ARE the same characters as the larger bodies, which have no life on their own), it seems unnecessarily argumentative to insist on the Nebulan names.

But I suppose I'm no better. I've said (and continue to say) that while the powers-that-be at Hasbro may insist on calling these guys "Titan Masters" instead of "Headmasters" (and, apparently in the future, "Targetmasters," "Powermasters," et al) they're not fooling anybody, and I'll certainly continue to call them "Headmasters."

So do what you like….

No, that's a very good point you're making. I hadn't even thought of that before you brought it up. Thanks for pointing that out! =D

No, they changed Kreb's name to "Terri-Bull". Horri-Bull doesn't come with Kreb in this instance, sadly.

I think it supposed to be Lokos.

That's Quig, not Siren.

While the point you seem to be making (that these are just the head components, and not the larger robots, and they are therefore more analogous the Nebulan figures of G1) is fair enough, it's also clear enough that Nebulans won't be playing a part in this new storyline.

Given the number of fans who already show active disdain for the Nebulan interpretation of Headmasters (in favor of the Japanese interpretation of Headmasters, where the small robots ARE the same characters as the larger bodies, which have no life on their own), it seems unnecessarily argumentative to insist on the Nebulan names.

But I suppose I'm no better. I've said (and continue to say) that while the powers-that-be at Hasbro may insist on calling these guys "Titan Masters" instead of "Headmasters" (and, apparently in the future, "Targetmasters," "Powermasters," et al) they're not fooling anybody, and I'll certainly continue to call them "Headmasters."

Honestly, I'm quite disappointed by the lack of a selection in this first revealing of Titan Masters-related stuff. 4 lone titans is a small amount. If this were early-'90s, I'd expect 6-8 in the first wave, at least, as these have high playability and customization(in the form of mix/matchability).

Cal

They changed Horri-Bull's name to "Terri-Bull"? Did another company trademark "Horri-Bull"?

No, they changed Kreb's name to "Terri-Bull". Horri-Bull doesn't come with Kreb in this instance, sadly.

Cal

And you know, I really wish Hasbro would stop using 3D renders for their official photos.

And hire that mistransforming photo guy? I'd rather not, personally.

Noideaforaname

"Crashbash" looks kinda like Vos and comes with a dinosaur/dragon that has a peg on it's back that almost certainly means it has a gun mode. SOLD!

HeroicC300

Is Crashbash Squeezeplay or Snapdragon?

Shatterpoint

Definitely Squeezeplay.

I think it supposed to be Lokos.

Knightsword

Siren is now Loudmouth.

cybergaurdian

I like them, but they had better get deluxe bodies for Horribull, Nightbeat and Loudmouth (Siren). The 86 cast I am sure will be targetmasters with a new name for the gimmick. We really need Trypticon to be in the works since Fort Max is rumored and We have Metroplex already.

I think more than anything it's Hasbro's increasing prices elsewhere that makes $5 for these acceptable. Deluxes are approaching $20, Legends remained $10 despite dropping the Targetmaster, those tiny ass barely painted Titan things are $2-3 (even though they're the kind of things you used to be able to get out of gumball machines for a quarter)… $5 for two figures that can transform seems like a steal after all that.

'Course, next year they'll probably drop the one that doesn't turn into a head and add a couple bucks to the price.

$5 is fine. Given TF pricepoints, the only cheaper option is $3, and considering the only thing they're releasing at $3 are Tiny Titans (AKA single hunks of plastic with zero articulation and limited paint), expecting these to be the same price is legitimately insane.

Super pumped for these. Even if they don't see much use as "heads" the fact they merge with their vehicles raises their playability several fold.

Shit, if Lego Dimensions can get me to open my wallet for their upgrade sets then I'd pay up to a tenner for this. But lets be honest, these things will be on clearance in a year. Might be better to wait.

So until I listened to WTF@TFW I really thought that the Titan Masters were quadruple changing headmasters. I didn't really read the descriptions and was just going off of the pictures, so I'm a bit bummed that this isn't the case. I guess if we're getting two hunks of plastic, what, maybe $8-$10?

Think Takara will do some bodies like how they did new limbs for CW, or maybe a smart 3P company will offer up some budget bodies for these guys?